The present invention relates to image replacement documents, and is particularly directed to a method of creating an image replacement document for use in a check truncation environment and an apparatus therefor.
In a check truncation environment, an original check is not transferred between banks during the check clearing process. Instead, electronic image data which is representative of an image of an original check is transferred between the banks. When a paper version of the original check is needed, it may be printed on demand using the electronic image and related data which is representative of the original check. This paper version is called an image replacement document (IRD).
The creation of an IRD for use in a check truncation environment is defined by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) X9.90 standard. This standard defines the content of an IRD using the front and back images of an original check and data associated with the check. Currently, institutions having a need to print IRDs usually use some type of laser printer which uses ink with magnetic properties (i.e., magnetic ink). Magnetic ink is needed for printing the magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) codeline of the original check onto the IRD. In these known IRD printing applications, the entire IRD is printed with magnetic ink. Magnetic ink costs more than non-magnetic ink. Accordingly, a drawback in using magnetic ink to print the entire IRD is that there is a relatively higher material cost since more magnetic ink is used as compared to if only the MICR codeline of the IRD was printed with magnetic ink.
Also, using magnetic ink from a laser printer to print the MICR codeline of the IRD may result in increased numbers of rejected items and/or misread items when attempts are later made to read the MICR codeline of the IRD. The numbers of rejected items and/or misread items may increase due to residual magnetic ink which may be deposited on the IRD when the MICR codeline was printed using the laser printer. It would be desirable to avoid depositing residual ink as well as to reduce total cost associated with printing the MICR codeline and the information other than the MICR codeline when the IRD is created.